Arna Gná Gunnarsdóttir

Arna Gná Gunnarsdóttir 
1974
Iceland

SOLO SHOW
2016
Amma – Gallerie Artcreenvol – Strasbourg – France
Winter in Strasbourg – Council of Europe – Strasbourg – France

2013
Gamalldúkur – Forréttabarinn gallery – Reykjavík – Iceland

2010
Artist of the Month/ september–  SÍM – THE ASSOCIATION OF ICELANDIC ARTISTS – online

2006
Arna Gná – Aurum – Reykjavík – Iceland

GROUP SHOWS
2017
Blóðbönd – Grafíksalurinn – Reykjavík – Iceland.

2015
Vetur – Hönnunarmars – Mýrin – Reykjavík – Iceland
(Ó)Fyrirséð / (Un) Forseen – Salurinn – Mosfellsbæ – Iceland

2014
Leikið með landslag – Hönnunarmars – gallery S33 – Reykjavík – Iceland

2010
Flushed – Kulturkontakt Nord – Norrænahúsið – Reykjavík – Iceland

2009
Flökkukindur – Art Festival – Reykjavík – Iceland
Gallery Cubb – Reykjavík – Iceland
Kenjóttar hvatir – Whimsical impetus – Akureyri Art Museum – Akureyri – Iceland

2007
Femme – Salurinn – Mosfellsbæ – Iceland
Malmittel 17 – Cultural Festival – Reykjavík – Iceland

2006
Fyrsti hluti – Án titils group – Kirkjuhvol Akranes – Iceland
Graduation Exhibition – Iceland Academi of the Arts, Reykjavik Art Museum – Reykjavík – Iceland

2005
Kaffiboð – Án titils group Kaffitár – Reykjavík – Iceland
Snæviþakið svín – Gallery Gyllinhæð – Reykjavík -Iceland
Kunstakademiet í Bergen – Kunstakademiet í Throndheim and Iceland Academy of the arts – Bergen – Norway

2004
Gullkistan – Laugarvatn Art festival – Laugarvatn – Iceland
Kaffi List – Reykjavík – Iceland
Maríukaffi Akranesi – Iceland
Handverk og Hönnun Bókverk – Reykjavík – Iceland

2000
Light Festival – Reykjavik – Iceland

EDUCATION
2007
Masterclass with Bjarni Sigurbjörnson, painter – Reykjavík – Iceland

2006-2007
Degree in Art Teaching – Iceland Academy of the arts – Reykjavík – Iceland

2006
Course on Book Bindings and arts books – Reykjavík – Iceland

2003- 2006
Iceland Academy of the arts – BA in Visual Arts – Reykjavík – Iceland. 2006
Kuno Express – Intaglio printing, -Royal Institute of Art – Stockholm – Sweden

2005
Painting Seminar – Kuno Express in Bergen – Kunstakademiet – department of fine art – Bergen – Norway

2002
Pre-Art Program – Art School of Reykjavik – Reykjavík – Iceland

1994
Art program – Kunsthöjskolen Thorstedlund – Denmark

PUPLICATIONS
Publications:  https://issuu.com/akureyriart/docs/kenjottar.hvatir_listas.ak

MEMBERSHIPS
Icelandic Association of Icelandic Artists (SÍM)
Icelandic Association of Art Teachers

COMMITTIEES
Allocation committee Myndstef from 2010-201, The Icelandic Visual Art Copyright Association.

     To take apart and rebuild, like when being hurt or injured and one begins the process of mending. This process interests me. I find extreme beauty in the imperfections, in the deformity. These elements are at the same time what scares me the most and my biggest fashination. In other words, the body and the skin and how we can mend, heal and change, cut, brake and open, bleed, sew together, bruise, all fashinating and horrifying.

Magic! Magic is a big part of my everyday existence, nature is the core of my cultural belief, the  power of everything around us. In Iceland one feels this magical power all around, it is real. One can sense the power of the land and the weather on and in your body and in your head. It can mess with you or give you great pleasure.

My work comes from there, fascination with the body‘s strangeness, the skin, mixed with the power of nature and magic. Materials are important and drive my as well. I often use often Icelandic wool, it is alive and raw and beautiful and smelly. The stokkings connect to the skin and the body, it is like a second layer. A feeling of hiding, mending, beauty-fixing or fakeness. I use wax as I like its sensual touch and hardness, it makes things more interesting and has a skin element to  it. The materials need to be real and interesting.

I have been working with these materials since my years in Art school. There I was exploring the painting and how I could expand it to fit in my world of interest and break free from the frame and the culture that is around what a painting should be. I feel like I’m still painting in a way in my work. My work hangs from the wall because it needs space and takes up space.

I look also to fashion and interior-design for inspiration, for instance for color combinations, materials and shapes. Hanging with there large head and heavy legs, hard materials to contrast the softness of the wool and the sowing and the feminin aspects.

The sculptures are dolls, but they have no identity, they have no face and they are really no one. They are power and magic which corresponds to the human body, perfect in its imperfections.